When we have no control

From today's reading: If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:20-21

Well, here's something we don't want to hear. I remember when I was in Rockdale as the lay vicar of St. Thomas in seminary. This was the inspiration for my great yo-yo sermon - the one about being in high school and those of us who were seniors would get punished for "yo-yoing" in the halls. This was the result of an assembly when the "yo-yo man" came to town and after his exhibition, he sold yo-yos which most of us bought. The school quickly had to devise a new rule - no yo-yoing in the hallways between classes. The penalty was detention - and if we violated the rule, we had to suffer the consequences.

But there are people who suffer - from things they have no control over. And as Americans, or even just as human beings, we think it's unfair for good people to lose their homes to tornados or hurricanes or flooding or whatever, or it's unfair for people to suffer from cancer or copd or any other of the numerous diseases that make life so difficult, or to lose their jobs or means of support. But it happens all the time - it's part of the fallen nature of humanity.Whether we chalk it up to the fall in the garden or the opening of Pandora's box, or whatever, it's part of life in the here and now.

So what do we do when it befalls us? Or how do we help those we love when it happens to them? Christ gave us an example of suffering - without condemnation - accepting what came his way - forgiving others - living close to the Lord - never forgetting where his help came from. Why? We don't always know why. We simply trust the Lord that He will bring something positive out of our experience.

Lord, regardless of what happens in our life, hold us close and keep reminding us of your presence and your love for us, because we can forget so easily. Your promise is to be with us through everything that happens in our life - to never leave our side. Help us, remind us to call out to you in our hour of need that we may ever live in you, and you in us. Amen.